Local company Epuron has acquired the 1-megawatt Uterne solar power plant operating in Alice Springs.
Commencing operations in July last year, the plant was constructed by Sunpower and consists of over 3,000 Sunpower solar panels installed on the company’s single axis T20 tracker system. The facility is currently Australia’s largest operating tracking solar power plant and was built with assistance from the Australian Government as part of its Solar Cities program
Uterne is projected to produce 2300 megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity per year on average, equivalent to the annual consumption of 270 average Alice Springs households. In August last year, Uterne was recognised with an Engineering Excellence Award from the Institution of Engineers Australia.
“The acquisition of Uterne further demonstrates Epuron’s commitment to a growing solar portfolio in the Northern Territory,” said Epuron Executive Director Andrew Durran. “The project is a great addition to our 1-megawatt remote TKLN Solar project, making Epuron one of the largest solar project owners and asset managers in Australia.”
TKLN, currently under construction in the Northern Territory, incorporates the proprietary Grid Stability System (“GSS”) and will supply three remote outback communities.
The Uterne acquisition was made possible with financing from the Commonwealth Bank. The Northern Territory’s Power and Water Corporation will buy generated electricity from Uterne at a guaranteed rate over a 20-year term.
One of Epuron’s first renewable energy projects was the Cullerin Range Wind Farm, which was sold to Origin Energy in December 2007 and began operating in July 2009. Among its other interests are the Birrema, Conroy’s Gap, Deepwater, Eden, Liverpool, Rye Park, Silverton, White Rock and Yass Valley wind farms
Sydney-based Epuron says its Silverton Wind Farm project will be one of the largest on-shore wind projects in the world; with the potential of supplying approximately 4.5% of New South Wales’ current total electricity consumption.
